A Study Of A River Runs Through It From The Perspective Of Ethical Criticism

Norman Maclean was an eminent professor who taught classical literature in the University of Chicago,as well as a celebrated twentieth century American novelist.His autobiographical novella,A River Runs Through It,recalls the coming-of-age experience of Norman Maclean and his younger brother Paul in a Presbyterian family.In A River Runs Through It,the plot revolves around four fishing experiences with Maclean's family and describes the unyielding Paul with his multiple personalities,as well as his family's relationship.With the veiled references to Paul's death by the end of the novella,this work expresses the author's profound memories of the deceased.Seemingly,it is a novel about memory and sentiment,but it actually has more allegorical implications.The novel contains rich American literary traditions,while also expanding into ecology,religion,family education and philosophy.Foreign scholars have focused on the value of A River Runs Through It over the past 40 years,resulting in growing literary scholarships concerning Norman Maclean.Following the first Chinese translation's publication,many scholars have been paying closer attention to Norman Maclean.However,there isn't a systematic study of the novella from an ethical perspective.Therefore,in this dissertation,on the basis of research from domestic and foreign scholars,I will use western ethical criticism as the basis on which to explain and evaluate the process of ethical choices for the main characters when it comes to Paul's death from their given ethical standpoints.As a theory and methodology,Ethical Criticism plays an important role in literary and art studies.In this dissertation,I am going to explore the ethical value of A River Runs Through It from various angles in relation to ethical literary criticism,and will attempt to find additional ethical phenomena from this theoretical viewpoint.The main body of my dissertation is divided into three sections.Section one is based on Maclean's dual identity,starting from the narrative and symbolic functions of the river in the novel,and continuing with an exploration of grief through the novella's narration techniques,literary form,and romanticism.I will also examine Norman's perceptions of time and mortality.Secondly,given that the novella's emotional core is expressed by "water",I am going to explore nature view,combining features of natural description and also making an analogy between the novella and the classic poem,"The Road Not Taken," by Robert Frost,a famous twentieth century American poet,due to the existing discussion of an admonishing theme.Section two analyses Norman's and Paul's stories and explores the reasons and meanings of the different paths they take.I am going to make an analogy between two types of 'contests',that of Achilles and Hector in Homer's The Iliad,and of Paul and Norman in the novella,to draw a connection between Paul' Achilles' s free will,while also taking their ethical dilemmas and ethical identities into consideration to reflect upon difference and misunderstanding between brothers.I Will pointed out that much like the "adventure" hero Achilles,Paul's freedom and feelings of entrapment,suggest that the diverse choices in life are full of paradoxes,which in some ways agrees with and confirms the view that everything and every person is imperfect under God almighty.Seen from parental characters and natural environments,section three interprets and evaluates the different ethical choices and versions of enlightenment key characters in the novella face through historical,marital and familial ethics,religious ethics,and ecological ethics.The Maclean family is a typical church family,headed by the husband with an obedient wife.The fact that Paul was "out of control" affected every member of the family.The status of women in this traditional context was a sort of confinement,to spend the rest of their lives with forbearance,which is also why she can't "save" her son.Father and Paul represent the personification of the supernatural and of nature,however,as a Presbyterian minister,failure to discipline Paul put his father into a difficult position.A true reflection of this period's social background is through Paul's social justice,stubborn courage to eradicate social taboos,as well as his penchant for drinking and gambling.By inserting family warmth and religion into personal memory,this humanistic elite novella is trying to review and reflect upon the issues concerning the confusion and anxiety of individual choice,the weakness and helplessness of religious redemption,and the differentiation and opposition to faith in God,as well as other issues during the first half of the 20th century which were influenced by the adage "God is dead"and the "lost generation".The image of fishing is eternal,because it not only represents a calm father and son,but also a moment frozen in time between brothers,which harkens back to the father and son of the apostles,who bathe in divine grace of all things eternal.The novella continuously refreshes the idea of the river that "may never be eroded",highlighting Norman Maclean's awareness of ecological ethics and religious ethics,while also broadening the modern horizon regarding bioethics,and imparting the significance of living in perfect harmony with nature under ideal grace,which sublimates the themes and thoughts throughout the novella.Such focus on ethical considerations demonstrates the effect they have on social events and the characters' fates,especially given the outcome of the two brothers.This study will help readers discover the ethical value of A River Runs Through It as a whole,and will provide a brand new perspective for appreciating Norman Maclean's ethical and philosophical thought.